Good evening and welcome to our live tonight the producers group are proud to
present
a celebration of access and i community special really community organizations here
in Somerville and how they use video with me and for our first guest is Jerry field
who's the executive director here at scat some real community access television are
finally known as scat. Internet I just want to ask you how many organizations are
involved in here at Scott right now as former members of Scott Community
Organizations can join Scott and take full advantage of the access resources that
we have here training and access to the Channel we have right now thirty two
different organizations and some are go. There are lots of other ways so that other
organizations take advantage of the access to the channel that we offer last year
we estimated that there were about eighty Summerville based organizations that use
the community bulletin board on
a regular basis and what is that if right now on channel three and channel twenty
two this program is from the studio down in Union Square and it's
a live program and then there will be later on this evening tape programs that will
be run from here run we finish what we call playback or playing playing those tapes
back for you to see at home with them put on what we call a community building
a board and that's the pages or the screens of information about different
organizations penny sales yard sales different kinds of meetings that kind
of thing. And that's one of the parts of one of the services on cable that I think
actually does get
a lot of viewers not too many people sit down and watch it for hours on end but
it's the kind of thing where it's a service that
a lot of organizations use to get to
a lot of people as people who are quickly going from channel to channel whatever
it's a good way to get notices out but it's the same way that
a celeb trying to build
a board Well I know some of the has one of the oldest histories around access in
the country was it that's in seventy three seventy two seventy three that's
a long time but. Terms of Scott as an organization we've been around for how long
how many since incorporated in one thousand nine hundred three and we've been in
this building here in the old fire station in Union Square since one thousand nine
hundred five. For
a couple of years we ran out of the Davis Square and then we have the first floor
of the fire station converted into
a studio and offices and we've been here now for a little over three years so it's
a nice space. How about some of the also I mean it's not unusual in
a sense there's three different kind of access the community can take what are
those who don't know yet the the public access channel if you're watching us right
now tonight on Channel three you're watching on the public access channel and
that's the channel the want to first come first serve basis to anybody in the
community of summer go. The educational access channel which is on channel twenty
two is also
a channel that Scott operates and manages and through the group that I
know that we wanted to mention tonight to the Somerville educational cable Council
that provides feedback to us about the programming on that channel during the day
channel twenty two is primarily it's the learning channel which is
a nationally available service and on three evenings during the week Monday Tuesday
and Wednesday evening as we provide
a river RAII of what we call right to call community education programming local
Summerville based meetings programs are idea programs and the third channel that's
available was the is what's called City cable and channel sixteen that's
a program by people of the people up at city hall the office of telecommunications
Well I know I have I'm just going to cue that we only have one minute left so I
hesitate to ask you this question but I have to have. A life you know the meaning
of life you know we saw I wonderful demonstration today and I just want to you know
start off the show with sort of
a glimpse into the future of organizational access what do we see that day that we
had
a test today of something that we actually formally be watching tomorrow. During the
annual meeting of the some of the logic ational cable Council of the institutional
network it's
a different part of the cable system that people won't be able to see in their
homes. Not all the time we will be able to do some special programming with that
but it allows different institutions within Summerville usually public institutions
or nonprofit organizations to communicate to each other two way video and what was
sad today was
a demonstration from the superintendent's office between our conference room and
the superintendent's office of a two way interactive video meeting so so we have
a right of really fun stuff to look forward to and so we're going to have
a lot of ways to flex their access muscles and his beat the rest of our show is
going to be have
a lot of different guests on talking about very different ways that they've used
public access as
a community organization but right now we're going to start off with
a wonderful montage tape that was added to this afternoon by Abigail Norman and
it's all about generations and we'll be joined by those producers with that show
after the tape so stay with us. Oh.
The members of the some of the walking clubs and their friends met and some other
community to do to learn how to use video equipment this was their first class in
the art and there are already at the end of the era
everyone going to see the all the earlier the
better.
The image while.
The Internet. Well.
We didn't even want to try to bag Barry Harada our lawn to say about it without
police have. Released the Arabic speaker yet for the average
Sharon to have. Peace is one of the.
Event and you can.
Hear them in the room. He's rushing in the. Yukon here
I'll make it a lot. But it will take
a. Toll right now we're.
Going to hear him we talk and OK now I just.
I understand that you've been invited to the G.M.
No dear I'm going to be an issue I mean no sir I'm going to be an entertainer the
moment you're going to be
a judge no one could be an interesting. Jericho you only say that because telling
me I'm going to be a judge is a lot like yes I'm going to be
a judge I think so much time to get some sensible judges on here because I also
have been in the past have not been doing such
a good job and I don't know what will I don't know Jose after I don't know why and
then you know it's just I don't know. How all of this is when I. Think he's going
to be one of the to be run and you're going to be one right. Right I'm really
happy I have to read as I would like to reopen the case a little bit of
a lack of my last day and I am going to be
a very good company the judge you think that in the past will happen so exceedingly
good that they are they're asked to come back again and I can have
a good Right OK and if that sat down next.
I want to try and play Odierno for them yeah I think my right and I have you been
doing this deal and I do it every once in
a while I am because of the hospitals and play in the. Different places have to get
a name for this on all just sometimes I play alone sometimes I play with the bunch
of mostly right I think I feel straight back Oh yes yes yes I thank you
very very much you're welcome but really it's
a of to watch the elderly talent show I thank you and. I together and
anybody that you know that the dogs think today now noble we just send them out
every year and I was shivering and they just had to say seven of my friends and I
said yes please come out let time maybe even gentleman is about changing.
The bugs.
With the looks.
Of. The. Woman. In
the blue.
Collar jobs and. The country here is. A. Very
clear her area and this is where we are. And that's the
worry. In September the group learned how to edit out me the.
E.C.
There. Was
a. Leak. In the knowledge from I am
doing wrong. I'm still the automatic. Yes.
I know do I. Leave you British stuck on
a chair for
a week so you know what you want to know not to go all the way back again to see
where we see the T.V.
You don't see
a new member was nothing five hundred fifty five right here. The
generations producers' group will meet all year at Summerville community T.V.
To produce television programs by for and about the elders of Somerville.
And reckon back to dead or alive on our special show access in the cable community
groups with me I have some guests who worked on the show the excerpt you just saw
on generations to my left as South Hooghly C welcome South to sounds that is
suddenly story suddenly is executive producer of the generations who works with
scat and Sal as
a member of the generation's part of the generations producers group is that right
right so tell me how are the run of you've been involved with the generations
producers group. I say about four months and how do you write if you get involved
All right can we have
a rocking crowd we happen to come down here and we saw the way I cam was going on.
Quite
a few of us and that's how we started right now let me ask you this Would you prefer
to be in front of the camera behind the guy that had. During the Monteith that we
just saw that we did on the show you were doing
a whole lot of that work right right right what has been your favorite show so far
you have one. Where we were about to say yeah I'm great city how long have you been
involved working with this group that from months that's how long the group has
existed. And sound I was as we were talking for the show I think that we really
have
a lot to be proud of because in those four months we've had three shows go on the
air so I think these guys have done
a really great job how many people are involved in the generations produces Well
it's pretty much any senior who lives in summer who's interested in working on
video on T.V.
Certainly if anybody had an idea of
a show that they were interested in having produced
a particular idea they could get in touch with me here and then we would work
together to make certain that that program happened and at the moment we're going
to say that six or seven eight people actively All right what kind of shows if you
don't pass or might not seem to only know this month is a tape of an A.A.R.P.
Meeting that was introducing were for people who don't know the answer Association
of Retired Persons that was introduced seems to several heard legislators from this
area and then we had a show that was video short which was kind of
a collection of different interviews that they did with each other is the kind of
practiced using the different Quitman and we just saw
a little bit of in the last tape which was the some of the others talent show
creator those are the three programs who had on Andrew for rocking on another
project now. Which was the dedication of the senior center here in Somerville last
month. What kind of advice would you get Would you talk to other seniors to get
involved in doing this I would go through
a lot of the things I could do it all. Began with Barbara the only thing
they wanted here it's very very good. Well I have
a question to just seems to I don't seem to ever have heard of up community public
access facility that actually had shows produced by seniors voicing which is this
I'm usually. Well I think it's only taken twenty speak for I have
a really committed to trying to have the senior Spears much and so on as possible
I've talked to other people who've had kind of similar programs but I don't think
the seniors actually ran the cameras in the equipment to show that So on our
seniors ran the cameras did the audio and did the editing so that I tried to just
be the brokenness ational person and I try to keep my hands off as much as they can
do you like this is my chance of growing on me. And Brian may have and they
are so right good. What kind of feedback do you are good to from other seniors in
the community to please other people watch these shows farmers I understand there's
. No regrets three this this film so it's only
takes a good month yeah before you do everything you know. Takes
a good month or so so you would help other people to come down then when you go got
room for other people in this group who want to. Just cry get you out and ask for
me or ask for Sal that's really exciting they really thank you all for being here
and showing. The next tape that we're going to see. Is
a tape that is all about reading the news it's basically called the talking news
and it's done by Jon let's break in the community schools. And we're going to have
he's going to be joining us after that so please stay tuned and stay with us for
talking news. Welcome to talking news
Nov tenth nineteen eighty eight talking News has
a recurring taped news program using articles from local papers and other resources
this service is brought to you by Somerville community schools My name is Joe let's
Berkeley and now with the newest resident parking plan for a lot buy
a lot of room in the Somerville Journal city officials are abandoning
a ploy and to build a parking lot on an M.B.
To own site on Summer Street in the face of opposition from neighbors who want
housing there instead at
a meeting of the Davis Square campus force last Thursday members shouted down
a proposal to provide about forty parking spaces for local business people on was
occupied by an emergency access shaft today in this subway tunnel.
They reiterated demand million is wrong is six years ago that houses or offices be
built there the M.B.T.
A wants to lease the site to
a developer that will use it in whatever way the city requests may hinge in Broome
said his plans to abide by the neighborhood position because of the inconvenience
they experience during the tunnel construction the sixteen thousand seven hundred
square foot lot has been vacant since the David Square station opened in one nine
hundred eighty four three houses once occupied the land which the M.B.T.
a Took by eminent domain as part of the subway project. At the meeting at the
meeting in the gobby argue that without more parking commerce and David Square
would be threatened I have three hundred applications. From unarmed Somerville
resident business people those people have to park somewhere he told the town
sports if you don't find
a solution somewhere in three years the square will be dead. He said employees
parking meter spaces meant for customers were residents residential streets because
they have no other place to park and pay the tickets they get for parking illegally
recent commercial development in the square has increased parking demands officials
say.
Welcome back to daddy alive recently in the studio now is Janet spent Joel is
a program specialist at the for the summer community schools and also the producer
of and
a very she was in the talking News I'm Joanna rended your right did you start doing
this on this the talking is the the talking news program started
a few years ago we one of the many programs that we run in this city is
a social club for visually impaired adults and we were told by this
group that they didn't have access to medical notes they couldn't read the
newspaper. So we started the trucking news with this group of maybe twenty members
making the tape and then offering copies to the members and you know last year I
realized that there were
a number of people in this city. Who were not members of this group who were also
didn't have access for. Any number reasons either because they couldn't afford the
newspapers or were just in
a bad access to other news letters that they're included. Looking for Chapter three
The burthen Broyard and hearing N.P.R.
I. Knew I was on there when I can't wait. For great ideas the radio with no
visual which I find from his pen things that. Kind of thing because you've gotten
people really listen to it it's some people have it's hard to know who the ready
and there are I actually hear feedback from the. Project out the people who
which is our program then I heard you again on cable because it's on twice
a week. At it at
a decent time when they have even more access to the news but I don't know. The
readiness is out there I haven't heard it just seem to take it back when it
occasionally ask for people to. Listen to you like
a very nice phrase for that and I know you I just actually sounded different when I
was listening to it this afternoon the editor tell me what do you do do you read
the sort of journal. The jury was I'm a pusher of the of the news because it is
a main paper but some of this week. The Council on Aging puts out
a newsletter that I'm not sure what the revenue it's his entire gearing it towards
a. Group. And a disabled group also so there's
a newsletter that comes out of growth some from. Breaking on the day but there are
a number of. Newsletters but the journal is
a major piece yeah yeah when thing I find so interesting about the excerpt that we
shared with their talking news on it was that we put of this because that's how you
basically had how it gets out to viewers that the character generator we always use
the term C G People don't know what we're talking about used to be called the
message we on the old days or the day before that the base of the community
bulletin board is
a better way I think the electronic bulletin board but it was interesting because
your organization was also the community parents in bridge you know like here was
your voice and they realize it was about the community squares use that
a rabbit and it affected us very much. This week I really Equestria That's
a plug OK this is what went on about community groups we've found craftspeople
through Baltimore people have called us as
a result of saying that because we run programs throughout the city. The clientele
was is quite varied in age and members it's hard to reach somebody people's T.V.
It's an excellent way of doing that right so we are constantly using that Bolton
board to advertise programs and special events but I guess I just you know again I
laughed when I said applied but it's exactly what. Access is is the best you know
as
a vehicle for in terms of getting the information from an organization you spent
a lot of time working on it out to the community and what better way than using
public access and again to encouraging people to use the community birds and bring
a lot because I know that you know like right here
a lot of people say oh yeah I saw that there you know and people do flip the
channels and they find it you know in terms of community schools either Now this is
sort of a non Well it's not non-visual but a different from
a video let's say what other kinds of video have disappeared schools gotten
involved and. We've done. Public Service Announcements of the types of programs
which are wrong or versions kind of story go and some but we do what.
We have had special taped. We rather take care programs throughout the city and
kids of the students to go in the produce shows. Which I gather be more towards
for. So I think it's a rather
a range of things I'm currently. Editing
a program on immigration in the city transferring slides on to video which will be
broadcast recently could very involved with it and it's really important that
because I think many schools use it we're moving on in the show dish to go to first
I want to thank you for taking time out to be here tonight to tell. The next tape
that we're going to see. A tape was produced by Caspar particularly Abbey Friedman
and Juliet faith and it's
a it's it's also I write my dad it's in Portuguese and we're going to be talking
about why people chose to do this tape and in Portuguese so stay with us.
That's impossible because the voice. The read said they don't post the same common
in place events press. The inspiring efforts of other sections of the.
President such as the we do this to. Close it down the barrel
thing is open the minister. Who is with the well. With us of an employer
wins that. Kind of I'm not going to close because of the so the except for the say
no messing around. And you can be anything mean I've got this now this is
a step and you can get that it's nice and easy to mix with this is good for the.
Me I'm in place and synthesis in that sense that.
The fight necessary but with the sort of man the. Heat
gets wasted but because of them not just to the south as of now gets them got this
but if it is it would come to some of us
a bit with too much but again there it was with the gruesome images going to some
of it with some of. The kids confab business and slam
the first sign.
That some class. Has been going to protest the same time condemn us and think
that. This is
a good lesson that keeps it. Welcome
back to our show on community groups and how they use the access to television here
and some of the I quickly announced the last tape is Casper and I think if you've
lived in the city for
a long time you know them is cast by broadcast by stands for is Cambridge and
Somerville program for alcoholism rehabilitation and I'd like to introduce the
guests with with me for this segment to my left is Abby Friedman was
a community producer and was one of the co-producers of the tape you just saw to
her left is Juliet faithful who is the cross cultural consultant for Caspar Iraq
onto the show. I guess I want to ask you first Julie Wright did you want to do this
tape why did Caspar Inn you choose to work in this particular tape where we've been
trying to extend the curriculum we teach in alcohol education curriculum in the
schools from kindergarten to twelfth grade we wanted to extend the curriculum to
the Portuguese speaking population and really we found there were no firms that
were either in Portuguese or that were culturally relevant that you know embodied
some of the cultural beliefs and use Portuguese actors that the kids could identify
with so that's what we decided that it would be worthwhile to pass the time and to
develop and to use in the schools they understand this this film is still in
progress to sweep mostly got
a sneak preview of this right there right first. It's really it's really really
nice what I've seen of it I mean I don't speak Portuguese but visually it's really
beautiful. How was it like working together. Well.
Interesting and it's been really. I think both of us have learned
a lot from each other really it had never been any filmmaking or video before and I
had never worked with
a group different from my own culture so I think. I learned something of another
culture and also it's quite an experience to work in
a foreign language that I didn't understand as well so you know we spent
a lot of time together in the editing room I thought it was
a great many hours ahead of us to I think that had to be
a lot of play off were constantly you know tuning into each other because I was
unfamiliar with the technical aspects and Abby can speak Portuguese so we had to
work together but I think it worked very well so this is
a good example to have another road IT organizations that may not have
a staff person that can go out and do the video work with other people like
yourself like many producer freelance producer to be able to make sure the
technical thing comes out. I also was curious to ask you how it doesn't cast by use
videotape in other ways too. But will you still use it with the pier we have Peter
laid there that run peer groups for our kids in the schools but we're not currently
using it because I think our video equipment with with them will end up taking away
we hope to get back into the way we use
a lot of videotapes for actually going laying down menus in the discussion.
And that's what this tape it's about it's
a trigger film so you know you well it's really an interactive experience what you
saw was just a few minutes of about a six minute trigger which involved
a situation with peer pressure and drinking and what we'll do is show that and then
start
a discussion about how did people feel. What were the choices available what options
to teenagers have to deal with peer pressure and drinking so really it's part of
the whole curriculum and during that time will also talk about resources the places
where you can go for help but it sounds like it's also could be
a stand alone like the one on access as well could it go out by itself does it need
to stay in the world. OK In fact I wouldn't put it out over access unless there was
some kind of discussion surrounding it you know because we don't answer any
questions we just raises raises the other way maybe
a way to do it too is would you use
a Life studio show or something to use that you know. I don't so I'd like to ask
you Abby to you work with
a lot of different community groups help is there other ways that community groups
can get involved in public access here and Senator Well I think that you know there
are two ways either the groups could come in. With somebody from one of the
organizations could take the classes and sort of go through the process of learning
to make
a video and I think really I was actually considering that before she made this and
then the other way is simply to contacts and to get some referral you know for
a producer and then work with the producer using Scout equipment and facilities and
I think that's very good for community organizations to utilize the access station
in the way that Caspar has because for organizations that have very tight budgets
local small organizations. They have the opportunity you know to use this equipment
really much lower rates than if they went to
a commercial house and I think also they get
a sense of commitment from both the producer and the access station because I felt
very committed to the project but I think she was really interesting than that
because I think that many community organizations bring
a lot of different needs to public access is not just putting things out on the air
but like you have done it's like created a way to work within
a group setting so that
a lot of times community groups use tapes to Shoebat playback within their own you
know within their own my loue and everything so I think Scott has been really
wonderful that sort of opening the doors to
a lot of different ways to use it. And I thank you both for being here and I look
forward to seeing if you can have subtitles though correct English subtitles or
voice over There is going to be two versions someone will be only in Portuguese
right one will have English subtitles for. Classes were there would be
a mix when it was a group because the faculty generation sometimes they have
a cultural piece I think speak English better than what you can write that's
a really good idea they also I'd love to just add to right now that for
a go the next top is that so has a very large Portuguese population and has for
a long time one of the really wonderful organization is two in the city that deals
specifically with the Portuguese some of the Portuguese American League Baseball
which is actually housed in this building that's now upstairs here at the firehouse
and inscribed on
a lot of work on community television and public access I next tape that we'd like
to go to right now. It's
a tape card actually things called Meet the legislators and it's by the council for
children and they do this every year so please stay with us and we'll be joined by
one of the members of the Council for children.
Welcome to the some of the Council for children's annual meeting of legislative
night legislative med's been going on for six years and we're very happy tonight to
have the first some of the contingent to my right is state Senator Salazar bino
who's the chairman of the Public Safety Committee and
a member of the Education and Human Services Committee next to sow who's
representative Marie Howe
a longtime member of the Ways and Means Committee next to Marie is Representative
Joe Mackey
a member of the raising moves can committee in the Judiciary Committee and next to
the jail was Representative Peter Baluchi on the Rules Committee an energy
committee but rather we have our legislators here Rep an up with two minute that
introductory statements by the legislators then we're going to have its social
statements by three members of the some of accounts of the children and then we'll
have general audience questions to the legislators OK We will take
a run or quick thirty second question from Joyce. And Senator
as has been made. Here and I would ask you how you will work and how more funds we
can work with you to be sure the children's programs get
a fair shake could you remind them that children don't come there to support them.
This is
a question of I was thinking on my way over here today to some of the delegation
could sit down and do this our budget for the state it would be done very fast and
very easily. But that's that's
a practical that's not the way it's going to work. I would just like to say that
the very happy to be here tonight in. You have to legislate it to.
Do the correct things to be. Concerned.
Together.
Because of. The. Fifty percent. That change.
They have to. Have us for the.
Cells but. More than seventy
percent of the budget seventy percent increase in revenue to human service programs
. Are not going to. Going to the crew
that's not going to the. Government running to human services
direct tension. Between spend for the spend for human
services I don't think you'll see major cutbacks on the remaining thirty percent
because I think. A cutback on the money spent on general government.
Out of the budget you've got to have increased biometric concerns in the next few
years that have to be addressed and. Competing for that. Question.
For every dollar. The very. Cost effectiveness Patterson's in here
most of the programming in the budget has been funded.
Which begins on drive some of the. Statistics. Because the level one hundred
dollars to provide a summer job for two men
a class twenty thousand dollars to keep that team in a juvenile institution for
a year but cost six hundred dollars to provide
a ruler can spend Satori education services to
a tune that cost more than twenty for one hundred dollars to finance
a repeated growth for disadvantaged and so this is why we're responding here
tonight let's spend it now and we don't have to spend it later General I haven't
but just want to say that. We do spend a larger part of
a budget on Human Services. I still think that we need more our
priorities are not focused enough on the human part of our budget when we can pass
a broad as you transportation brandishing for some three billion dollars It means
that our emphasis is on sex and bottles and not simple. Thank you we'd like to
thank you and I learned through their account of what you're in for the question
and the panel most of all
a Matthews rock ash and Susan Haggard too and we appreciate your question Senator
a by no representative how representative Mackey represent
a Logie for the service counter but surely we appreciate all your reckoning being
here tonight thank you. Michael anyone to run they have questions whether some
accounts with the children to read contact accounts or the office of six two three
five zero nine two six we prostrate your support.
Could even wrap compactor on a special show for Community T.V.
Week accessing the channel
a celebration of how community organizations use public access video here in
Somerville my guest now is Mike Ash Mike is
a member of the Council for children and is also the career edge or that career
educational counselor at the some of the school system welcome Mike likely to lead
to hear how long have you been involved with the Council for children are going on
five years now four years and how long has this seemed to be since I've known the
group been doing this sort of legislator for how long has that been going on well
certainly since I've been with the consul I think for
a few years prior to that as well I think that's our sort of our major interaction
with community access T.V.
Here and some of the lever year. I think it's an important issue and I think it's
a way that we can get
a run of the issues and many of the budgetary concerns we leveed in the newspapers
. Problems with the state budget fiscal mismanagement and certain money those
budget issues directly affect the kids here in Somerville. And as a member in as
a console which is made up of community people power it's educators and people from
wide variety of children's issues where we have two groups we like to meet with our
representatives and senators once
a year and sort of talk about issues particularly budgetary issues about the areas
programming for kids funding for education. And many issues of that nature
and how they directly affect our kids and some of all. How does it make
a difference in terms of videotaping it versus just having that
a community meeting place make
a difference with either of the parents that we have in the community. Obviously
Robbie on
a regular basis for certain programs that their children might be into running now
. By videotaping and broadcasting these when the meetings with the legislatures
were legislator true or that's
a tough way. To get some of this information out to parents and
people in the community and they in turn are better able and better and for them to
write their representatives our state senator. Just be aware of some of the things
that are growing on the statehouse and they can in turn have an impact on some of
these items OK Now very briefly because I've been given
a signal that we have to move on yet to another tape but you also in terms of some
of the school system is done some very interesting use of public access T.V.
And doing the story in Taishan take Yeah well since we have
a new high school. And it's very big and can be kind of intimidating for eighth
grade students in conjunction with scouting and Charlie cloaks with their class
last year we have
a number of students who produce their own orientation tape for race graders coming
to the school and many of the questions that the students ask were issues that are
important to young students coming up to the high school so they for them are
comfortable there and I was running fine it's another unusual use of using public
access Thanks again for being here my in good luck with future legislator friends.
Right now we're going to go to red tape my last tape of the show. This is
a tape that was produced by the Claritin here tenant Kloden helped our Tennis
Association so stay with us and we'll be joined with
a member of that group when we return.
In one of these buildings
a nice clean and well maintained one bedroom apartment including utilities cost
three hundred seventy two dollars This is
a great location it's got underground parking and the buildings are kept in
excellent condition. So while these apartments so cheap Well the truth is not that
these are so cheap but that everything else and some of it was so expensive but the
reason these rents of state affordable was simple the developers signed
a contract with the Department of Housing and Urban Development that gave them
a low interest HUD insured loan to build towers in return the developers agreed to
keep the rents for water for forty years. Take
a look around nice clean laundry rooms elevators that work clean entranceway
a small playground for the children and apartments themselves little well designed
as well as well kept. This elderly couple who has lived here for eighteen years
they love it they raised their children here and now very active in the church next
door we are happy here we're here for nineteen years because you'll not fall. And I
want to stay here but if they do anything high on the ranch I won't be able to
afford to stay. Tuned down here we were told to follow the box I figure for years I
might be going on right. Now twenty more yet to call and that's always the line
time you know being able to stay here for
a lifetime not have to worry about moving we have our elderly right here in the
specified gear and poverty's you tell us anything. He says My
I'll please don't worry about something's going to work I like it. When
you are. A nice idea and I would. Really like to meet and we should
anybody. Get together. To try to
save. Up and. Beautiful here.
Young family was relieved to find
a landlord that actually takes children because although it is illegal to
discriminate against children landlords do it all the time we do enjoy it from
wanting. To be with you know they're within their reach that the rains are not
going to do this. Because you know it took us two years to move here in the midst
of. You know the one thing is just not enough out there it's very hard to find.
A client to help ours is an oasis of good affordable housing in the midst of all
the rent inflation that has hit some local.
I'm Mandy that
a member of the Executive Committee of the tenants association we ask yourself why
we have
a tombs association that surely for buildings where there is no heat the landlord
has tripled the rent and that's not true he or she is just heard. Well I live in
Los Harrah's a forty year agreement with hide from him alone for
a straight road edge to keep these apartments affordable rent through found out
a year ago that is
a clear eyes in that agreement that would allow him to prepay his mortgage at the
end of twenty years which would be here in half or now. And he would then be out
from under the hood restrictions requiring him to keep these apartments fordable.
We were shattered we were shocked our home price risk. We're
going to expected to condition added to for Tim's association to see what we could
to her we might save our homes some people have lived here. Twenty years almost as
a mature year and
a half on the side of having to move again year in half or so when we go to market
value it's just appalling they've moved fourteen times in last thirty years
almost always because when became more than I could handle. So now you
can see where we formed intent so she
a shoe and you'll see what we're hoping we may be able to do you.
And welcome back to our special show for Community T.V.
Week nine hundred eighty eight with me is Helen Smith who is
a member of the executive committee for the Clarion health towers tenant
association who are the producers of the tape that you just saw Welcome Helen.
Helen I really want to ask you first of all how did you get involved in the
Claritin Hill towers Tenet Association. Well I had heard about the expiring lease
and there was
a meeting car that the part of House. Class was also
involved and that's how we got Staten. The telling association
think about doing a videotape right did you do
a videotape public access. Well they thought that it would be
a good way of them from the residence of some of the and also the tenants who
couldn't come to the meetings. To give them some idea of what was taking place and
did it work as we had
a good response that kind of feedback I think and I'm sure. We had screenings at
the different apartments people had videotaped it and people became interested in
what was taking process Kraven help so you get interesting you get calls from
people who maybe didn't know about it that and then they saw it on T.V.
Or that mostly people that were working with them you know I think most of the
people that were working with us right now that we're able to do have in producing
this tape we just saw an excerpt from I was one of the interviewers and ourselves
but just
a page of making up the script so what sort of the producers too as well right now
I want to ask you too that I think it's every shot of this take this tape is at
least a half an hour long in my right mind did
a lot of information we only rarely use
a small part so it's just really the introduction of the issue like what's
happening there what is happening now with this issue in terms of the forty year
mortgage and since we since I'm a. Housing consultant who was
a specialist in Homs and and she explored different avenues to come up with
a plan for us to purchase the building and also we hired. An attorney Tim
our recent polling Durante So we grew advisor and he has been communicating with
one of the on this. Committee met twice with the owner who comes tomorrow who comes
from knock. And we were offered him
a competitive offer which he accepted. And last week he signed
a letter of intent which demonstrates his commitment to sell the building to the
tenants association so this would make this
a you were telling me earlier this is like
a co-operative and some level OK I get that you know it's because there are I.R.S.
Restrictions but our attorney is going to get me searching to see
that we will possibly be
a nonprofit organization. And we'll keep Claverton Hill affordable for moderate
income families. Controlled in
perpetuity. And that means forever I have to ask you that it's
a great. Well I think it's very exciting to see
a group of people you know come together again because we do very well that's what
I was in the shadow on but it also was
a lot of work I I I know from. Many meetings
in the last I don't we're going on this tape we're struggling like this issue Well
I congratulate you on sticking to it and it sounds like you're almost near some
kind of victory my right. Would be clear the final transaction create
a great deal work to be done well it would be your next if this is the tenants are
going to another video I think you got one in mind I have to cut the ribbon. A
great I love it that's excellent and is there anything you would like to add or I
want to run thank the community action. Agency of some ago provided us with
full time staff since October one thousand wouldn't happen and also the city of
someone who has been extremely supportive and great I really want to thank you very
much for being on Helen and also Bush Iraq and your group
a lot of luck and I love to be there for the ribbon ceremony but maybe I'll see it
on public access to you. Or we like to do now is we're going to have someone just
joined us you ready Matt and Jerry feel he's going to come on the set and Joey and
Howard and I are going to do a what we call
a wrap up telling really don't I didn't warn you about this earlier but we
basically want to just sort of tell you
a little bit about what's happening in the rest of community T.V.
Week and I think I'm going to let Jay I've been talking
a lot of think imma let Jerry give us an idea what can we see tomorrow through the
best week OK first like to say actually that Helen and I have the. Joint pleasure I
think of serving together in the in the So this is
a legislative seminar series this. Now down at the State House have had
a chance to meet to meet Helen in the last few weeks and
a little bit more and this coming Thursday we're going to be role playing the roles
of I'm going to be a state representative she's going to be
a state senator. As I'm. Sure the reason I say that though too is because I think
one of the exciting and the really fun things about working here is meeting people
like Helen and the other people been on the show and getting to know them around
the their issues and and just personal interest so it's been it's been really
a lot of fun and they are programming for Community T.V.
Week tomorrow night we have an evening that we're calling cultural diversity and
what we're doing is setting the number of programs that are regularly producer
Scott other places as well they give us
a sense of some of the cultural and artistic diversity and Somerville we have
contact over the Portuguese news magazine The crew will be on tomorrow night and
also the tape that just completed the summer about Arts Council art beat program
back in September will be on Thursday night we have about ten different types from
into bit independent producers individual members of scat and around with short
clips of each of them and each of those people talking about why they do video and
I Friday night is the combination of the week which is
a major event and I invite everybody at home to tune in at eight o'clock on Friday
night and channel three and twenty two for the annual Scott Video Awards and this
is about an hour hour and
a half or so of time so we try to take during community T.V.
We have to acknowledge people who have been particularly involved and particularly
successful with community television so we have our own sort of version of the Emmy
Awards that happen on Friday night but we invite everybody at home to tune in on
that as well as long you know and I do try and entice is fine because you know all
the people who are involved and that's that's pretty good right then I just want to
say thank you for it to the producers group as were for helping to put that up to
for putting the show I want to night. It's part of community to be with one of the
strongest things a spin here in Somerville for
a long time has been the Somerville producers group and the regular programs to do
it that are alive every other week Thanks Terry right and I would like to just
again wrap up the show with thanking all the people that were guests on our show
and also to say that if you're out there watching the show that it's really our
wonderful place to come down here whether an individual you're a member of
a group and that public access is one of the last free places that we really do
have to come and talk about what is important to us in our lives so I encourage you
to take advantage of it whether you whether your to listen more often now that
you've seen this or you come down actually learn how to run
a camera so again the name of the show tonight was accessing the cable and the
celebration of community groups and how they use public access we are the some of
the producers group the show is dead or alive my name is Claire beat Thanks for
joining us.